Brain nutrition is important for a healthy brain, just like nutrition is important for a healthy body.

If you’ve been trying to pursue a diet that is good for your body, the good news is you’re also doing your brain a lot of good as well. This is because the nutrients needed for a healthy body are mostly the same nutrients that the brain needs. Body nutrition is basically brain nutrition.

If you haven’t been taking care of your body, you’re going to have to make some improvements. It is worth the effort: you will be smarter, more alert, have more energy and live longer.

The following is an introduction into what brain friendly diet consists of:

Protein

Protein is involved in the growth and maintenance of every cell in your body. It is vital for repairs, and without it we wouldn’t be able to maintain ourselves. Protein rich foods provide your body with amino acids vital to cell formation. Protein deficiency leads to fatigue, PMS, and concentration problems. In these states your brain simply cannot think properly. Instead, it wants to shut down and conserve the energy it does have, in order to maintain the body. This is a key example of looking after your body in order to look after your brain.

Good sources

• Eggs
• Fish
• Lean Meats (such as turkey, beef, lamb and chicken)
• Organ meats

Fats

The public is becoming increasingly aware that the consumption of fats is good for you if you eat the right kind. It is also very important when it comes to brain nutrition; after all your brain is made up of about 60% fat.

There are good fats and bad fats and it is important to learn which ones are which. The bad ones are LDLs (Low Density Lipoprotein). The good ones are HDLs (High Density Lipoprotein), which include monounsaturated omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

These are beneficial to your brain not least because the consumption of these will help keep cholesterol levels low which keeps your arteries clear and your blood flowing at a good consistency. This is important because it makes sure blood can get to your brain and provide it with oxygen and other nutrients. High cholesterol has been linked with such mind disorders as depression, manic depression and aggression.

The good fat omega-3 is the most important fat. It goes into all hormones; is crucial for your metabolism; and is used in the construction of every cell in your body and brain. In other words, you brain needs this fat in order to build and maintain brain cells. The polyunsaturated omega-6 fats are also vital, but must be balanced with enough omega-3, otherwise they are dangerous.

Good sources of HDLs

• Olives
• Olive oil
• Avocadoes
• Oily fish (salmon, striped bass, rainbow trout, halibut, tuna, sardines, mackerel)
• Green leafy vegetables
• Soybeans
• Soya
• Walnuts
• Flaxseed
• Pumpkin seeds
• Canola (rapeseed) oil
• Red meats
• Animal Organs
• Eggs

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are your body and brain’s source of energy. It constitutes the fuel that your brain runs on. If you don’t get this right you will feel tired and lack the ability to concentrate.

Glucose is the fuel that your brain (and body) runs off. The aim, then, is to provide a consistent supply throughout the day.

When you eat simple carbohydrates (anything containing refined sugars, such as chocolate) you quickly boost your blood glucose levels. Unfortunately your body tries to level this out and overcompensates; so you end up with a quick energy boost followed by a low. If you really need ten more minutes of concentration time, then do this. But remember the consequences: after a quick boost your mental functioning will slow right down.

In order to sustain concentration over an extended amount of time you need carbohydrates that release that energy over a long period of time. These are the complex carbohydrates. The slow release from complex carbohydrates keeps your brain with a constant good supply of energy.

The breakdown of carbohydrates in your body takes a lot of energy, which slows down the brain, making you feel lethargic. This is why you often feel tired after a big meal. The ideal measure for dealing with this is to spread out your food intake into smaller, more regular meals.

Also try to make sure you get most of your carbohydrates from unprocessed foods. Processed foods have been refined to such an extent that they are robbed of the vitamins that are needed to break down the food.

Bad sources (simple sugars)

• Fizzy drinks
• Confectionary barsv
• White bread

Good sources (complex sugars)

• Wholegrain bread
• Potatoes
• Pulses
• Whole-wheat pasta
• Brown rice
• Vegetables

Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins and minerals are vital for body and brain functioning. Vitamins are wide in their nature and function, but all are important. Here are some of the key affects some of them have on the brain:

• Vitamin A: Affects learning and memory.
• Vitamin B: Vital for a healthy nervous system, regulating energy metabolism and in the production of some neurotransmitters.
• Vitamin C: Has a role in keeping memory sharp
• Vitamin D helps you absorb essential minerals which increase alertness.
• Vitamin E: Is needed to keep memory sharp and is an antioxidant (see below). It is difficult to find in food and so a supplement may be a good idea.
• To make sure you get enough vitamins eat plenty of fruit and vegetables.
• Calcium and Magnesium keep you feeling calm and relaxed.
• Zinc is essential for good memory.
• Iron is used to carry oxygen in the blood to the brain.

Ginkgo biloba

This is the oldest native tree of china. The extracts from the leaves have been taken in Chinese medicine for centuries. It works by increasing blood flow through the body and therefore to the brain.

Antioxidants

Our main fuel, oxygen, is unfortunately bad for us. Free radicals from oxygen damage cells and DNA every time contact is made. This is a major cause of aging.

The body’s natural antioxidant is vitamin E. Another good source of antioxidants is black and especially green tea.

Good sources

• Fruit
• Vegetables
• Green tea
• Red wine

Supplements

Taking supplements cannot make up for a bad diet. But even a good diet can easily be deficient in some vitamins, especially vitamin E. A multivitamin supplement is usually well advised. There is some controversy over how much good they do you, but no evidence suggests they do you any harm. So they are probably worth taking.

Other supplements should really be checked with your doctor. There are some available over the Internet, but when your health is concerned you want to be careful. If you decide to invest in any brain boosting drugs I strongly advise consulting your doctor and chemist. Your doctor will know more about affects on you as an individual; the chemist will be more knowledgeable about the actual drug. Being conned is one thing, consuming something harmful is quite another, so do some proper research.

Can you supercharge your brain by overloading on nutrients?

To put it plain and simple: no. Your brain only requires a certain amount of nutrients to grow and maintain itself; if you give it more, it will reject it. However, getting enough of each nutrient is vital. Many studies have shown dramatic improvements in mental functioning after being loaded specifically with certain nutrients, but these were all where a deficiency occurs. Just like a builder needs bricks to build a house, so your brain requires nutrients. If you don’t give the builder enough bricks work on the house will halt until more bricks are delivered. Give the builder extra bricks and they will remain unused. So make sure you have enough of everything, then move onto another area.

Making the change

The simplest way to begin improving your diet is to learn what food is good for you and what food is generally bad for you. Then simply have more of the good stuff and less of the bad stuff. You can worry about quantities later, but if you begin listening to your body, you will generally give it the correct proportions anyway.

If you have a generally unhealthy diet a complete change in one go will be difficult, especially if you try to do this on your own. If you can find the motivation to do this, go for it. If not, try introducing the change slowly. Eat one more piece of fruit a day. Put bigger portions of vegetables on your plate. Choose a lean bit of meat instead of a fatty one. Give yourself time to get breakfast in the morning. Choose one thing and start. One thing at a time and you’ll be eating healthy in no time.

It is strongly advised that you talk to your doctor before embarking on any changes in your diet or other health issue. If you are taking any medication this is even more important.